Improvement in wind-wheels



- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES TOMLINSON, OF RACINE, WISCONSIN.

IMPROVEMENT IN WIND-WHEELS.

Specification forming partof Letters Patent No. 39,690, dated August 25,1863.

To aZZ'whom/ it may concern:

Be it known that l, J AMES TOMLINSON, of Racine, in the county ot'Racine and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and ImprovedWind-Wheel and I do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear,and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying,` drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which-Figure l representsa vertical central section of my invention. Fig. 2 isa plan or top view 0f the same.

Similar letters of reference in both views indicate corresponding parts.

This invention consists in the 'arrangement of a movable shield7 in`combination with a wind-wheel and with the vane, and connected to thesame by suitable rods in such a manner that by the action of the vane onthe shield more or less ofthe fans of the Wind-wheel are covered up orprotected against or exposed to the action of the wind, and the power ofthe wheel is thus rendered seltreg'ulating, according to the greater orsmaller i'orce ofthe Wind.

To enable those skilled in the artto make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe it.

A represents a wheel, made of sheet-iron or other suitable material,with six (more or less) scoop-shaped fans, a, similar to those ofpinwheels, which are usually made of paper and fastened by means of pinsto sticks to whirl round by the action of the wind. This wheel issecured to a shaft, B, which rises from a standard, O, and it isprotected'by a shield, D, that protects three of' the fans on one sideot' the wheel against the action of the wind.

The shield D connects with the upper end of the shaft B in such a mannerthat it can he freely rotated on the same in either direction. It restson a collar7 a, on the shaft, and it is steadiedA by braces b, or it maybe attached to the shaft in any other desirable manner producing thesame eii'ect. Said shield connects by means of a rod, c, with a lever,E, the. up-

per portion of which forms a wingl or scoop,

c, and which is fulcrumed on la pivot, d, projecting from the side ofthevane F. A weight, d, suspended from the lower end of'this lever, has atendency to throw the same in a vertical position, and at the same timethe position ofthe shield is so regulated that those fans of thewind-wheel which move with the wind are exposed to the full force of thewind, and those fans which move against the wind are protected. lf thewind changes, the shield rotates with the vane, and the motion of theWheel is Ilot interrupted, and it' the force ot' the wind increasesbeyond a certain point its action on the wing c at the top of the leverE causes said lever to swing back in the direction of the arrow markednear it in Figs. l and 2, and the shield D is caused to move in thedirection of the arrow marked on it in Fig. 2.

By these means the eii'ective surface of the wind-wheel is diminished,and its power is regulated according to the power of the wind.

This wheel is very simple in its construction, audit can be entirelyiliade of sheet-iron, so that it is of superior durability, and notliable to get out of order.

What I claim as new, and de sire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The arrangement of the shield D, in comhiy nation wit-h the wheel A,weighted lever E, and vane F, constructed and operating as and for thepurpose shown and described.

JAMES ToMLINsoN.

Witnesses M. B. ERSKINE, STEPHEN BULL.

